Automatic fire-extinguishing apparatus.



3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. D. FARP.. AUTOMATIC PIRE EXTINGfUISHINGr\A1IURATUS.` APPLIUATIONFILED 00T.26, 1907. BENWBD SEPT. 4, 1908.

Patented Oct. 13, 1908.

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J.LD.PARR. AUTOMATIC i FIRE. EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 0`0T.26, 1907.'A RENEWED SEPT. 4,/1908.

900,840. A Patenteaot. 13,1908-,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

\ J.D.`PARR. "AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS. APPLIUATIONFILEDOOTZB, 1907. RBNEWBD SEPT. 4, 1908.

f Patented Oct. 13,1908. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

lwvenoz www mozo i HmcroN. D- l UNITED STA-'Tirs- 'JONATHAN D. FARR, OFMONROE, GEORGIA.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

kspeeismaion of Letters Patent.

f Patented Oct. 13, 1908.

Application filed October 26, 1907, SerialNo. 399,380. Renewed September4, 1908. Serial No. 451,739.`

To all 'whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JONATHAN D. FARE, a citizen of the United States,residing` `at Monroe, inthe county of Walton and State of Georgia,haveinvented anew and useful Automatic Fire-Extinguishing Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a speoiiication.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a means forautomatically extinguishing fire and preventing thespread of a fire oncestarted in cotton machinery of any t pe, the invention being applicableto gins, inters, pickers,openers, lappers, and

other types of machines, and kbeing especially valuable where batteriesof machines are used.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means that is renderedoperative y an abnormal increase in temperature, for

the purpose of automatically stopping all of the machinery adjacent thefire, and at the same time turning on a stream of water,

steam or other ireI extinguishing fluid, andv for also sounding ,analarm.

A still further object ofthe invention is to provide a novel form offusible link or connection arranged to be exposed to the fire. Withthese and other objects in view, the

invention comprises the various novel fea" Corresponding p arts in theseveral figures are indicated throughout by similar char# acters ofreference.

In cotton mills, much difficulty is experienced in confining a fire tothe locality in which it originated, owingprincipally to the fact thatthe kseveral rooms and machines are connected by trunks or conveyerpipes in a practically continuous series, so that a blazing mass ofcotton may be carried through the trunks from room to room o and spreadthe ire over a large area.

In picker rooms, fire is vusually caused by foreign bodies. carriedalong by thecotton and usually starts at the opener where hardsubstances first come into contact with the beater. In vins and linters,foreignbodies may be caugtht between the saws and ribs,

' and in all classes of machinery there is more or less danger of firethrough the packing of cotton between Vstationary ,and movable partsof'the machinery, the temperature being raised to a dangerous pointthrough excessive friction.

The present invention aims to localize the ire andto automaticallyextinguish the same. Y

In `the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, a battery of gins A is connected bya common trunk B to a fan O. The fan is provided with a small ,pulley Dthat is connected by a belt E to fast and loose pulleys F on acountershaft G. The openers are provided with constantl driven pulleys Hwhich are mounted loose y on the shafts I and which may be coupled tothe shafts by means of clutches 10.

Each clutch 10 is under the control of a clutch operating lever 11, .andthe entire series of levers is connected with a rod 12 that is mountedon suitable anti-friction rollers 13 carried by standards 14.

Pivoted tothe ceiling or other suitable point of support is a lever 15that is nori mally held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by a wire orchain 16 that is guided over a number of pulleys Y17 and which, in thepresent instance, is shown as extending through the v-several gins andalso through the trunk B. .This wire orchain is formed of a plurality ofsections that are connected together in a continuous series by links 18.For convenience,

I the ends of the sections of wire are provided `with, eyes 19, andtheseare connected by the links. The link isformed of two sections 20land y 21 which are pivotally connected together. The section 20 isrebent at one end to Aform an arm 24 andbetween the two arms of thismember is "arranged the end of the section 21. The lthree parts'thusdisposed in parallel relation are held from separating by a fusiblemember 23 which may be formed of a section of fusible wire that iscoiledv around the members and normally Vprevents event of the raisingof the temperature to an `abnormal degreeE from the presence of ire,

or from conditions which would soon result in iire, the member 23 willuse and the sections of the wire or chain will thus be separated,allowing the lever 15 to swing to the right. It will be noted that thechain or wire is connected to the lower portion of the lever by an eye25, and extends to a iixed eye, 26 which, in Fig. 1, is shown asdisposed within the trunk, although it may be placed at any otherconvenient point.

Connected to the lower end of the lever 15 is a weighted cord o'r chain27 that is guided over a sheave V23 journal'ed in a suitable standard29. The weight is normally held in elevated position by the wire orchain 16, but when any one of the links opens, the weight is free todescend and the lever will bepulled over to the right of Fig. 1.

To the upper portion of the lever 15 is secured a shipper fork 'or arm30 that is arranged to be engaged with belts E, and when the lever ismoved to the right, the belt will be shifted from the fast to the loosepulley, thus stopping the operation of the fan and stopping the travelof the cotton from the several gins or other machines through the trunkD. y Near the lower portion of the lever is arranged a pin 31 whichentersan elongated slot 32 formed at the end of the clutch operating rod12, 'and as the lever moves to the right, this pin will engage againstthe end wall of the slot, and the rod 12 will be pulled to the right andwill simultaneously actuat'e the several levers 11, therebydisconnecting the driving pulleys H of the several gins or othermachines land instantly stopping the operation of the entire battery ofmachines. y

In carrying out the invention, provision is made for the introduction ofwater, steam, or other fire 'extinguishing Huid into the machines, 'andthe vconnecting trunk.

Leading from any suitable source of supply is a iluid pipe `35 which, inthe present instance, is shown as provided with two branches 36 and 37,the branch 36 leading through the trunk B and the branch 37 leadingthrough the several gins or other machines. The'se branches areperforated for the purpose of spraying the fluid'. In the pi e 35 is avalve 39, and to the stem of said va ve is secured an arm 40 that isconnected by a cord 41 to the hub 42 of the sheave 28. When the sheaveturns under the influence of the descending weight, the cord 41 will bewound upon the h'nb, thus turning the valve to open position -andpermitting the iiow of the 'extinguishing fluid through the branch pipes36and '37. lf the fluid used is in the form of steam or gas, it ispreferable to introduce an alarm which may take the form oi la whistle44 connected to one of the branch pipes and arranged 'to be actuated bythe currents oi fluid.

In Fig. 2 is illustrated, in diagrammatic gins.

form, the application of the invention to a drier or other machinehaving steam heating coils S. Leading from any available part ot thecoil S is a steam pipe 35 having a periorated portion 36. rlhe iiow ofsteam is under the control of' valve 39 which is opened in the mannerpreviously described. In this case, the wire or chain 16 is secured atone end to a bracket 26 arranged within the machine.

It will be observed that the spraying pipe or the tire extinguishinglluid may pass to the individual machine as in Fig. 2, or may extendthrough a battery of machines, as shown in Fig. 1, and in either caseprovision may be made for sprinkling within the trun k, as well assprinkling within the machine.

y In the construction illustrated in F ig. 3, the invention is shown asapplied to a battery oi gins. In this ease a steam pipe 37 leads up tothe condenser 50 and thence down through the iluc 51 to the rear oi thegins, that portion of the pipe between the condenser box and the iluebeing provided with numerous perforations in order to permit the passageof steam. On the steam pipe is a valve 39 having an arm 40 that isconnected by a cord 41 to the hub 42 of a sheave 28, so that when thesheave is turned, the cord will be wound up and the valve opened.

Pivoted to an elevated bracket a lever 15 having a shipper fork 30 thatengages with the condenser driving belt 53, and the lower end of thelever is connected to a cord 27 carrying a suitable weight which ii'Vallowed to descend will move the lever for the, purpose oi sluiting thebelt and thus stopping the condenser, and at the same time.

opening the valve to permit the passage oi steam into the condenser boxand line.

This movement is prevented b y the wire or chain 16 that extends throughthe [lue and is led out through the bottoni oi' the condenser throat andaround a guiding sheave, one end oi the 'wire or chain beingr connectedto a. stationary point inside the ilue, and the oposite end thereofbeing connected to the ever. This wire or chain is iornied in sectionsthat are connected by the links previously described, so that in easeol` lire at any point, the lever will be released for the purpose oiallowing shifting ot the belt and turning on of the steam.. The steampipe carries a whistle '24 lor the purpose of sounding an alarm in casethe steam valve is opened.

The 'feed shafts o'l the `ins are under the control oi clutches 10 whichare operated by levers 11, all of the levers being connected to a rod 12that is mounted in suitable guides and extends the full length oi thebatteryol" To one end of this rod is secured the end oi la cord or chainG() passing 'over a guiding sheave '-61 and provided with a y weight 62,which allowed to descend, will pull the rod to the leftV and shift allof the clutches to release posit-ion, thus stopping the feeding ofcotton to the gins. The end of the rod l2 abuts against the main lever15', the latter forming a stop for the rod and f preventing its movementunder the influence of the weight. 1f, however, the lever is freed andallowed to move for the purpose of shifting the belt and opening thesteam valve, the rod will then be free to be moved under the influenceof its own weight 62, and all of the feeding devices of the gins will bestopped. p

As the feed of cotton to the machines is stopped and the machines areallowed to continue running, the machine or'machines will purgethemselves of all burning cotton, throwing it into the flue tobeextinguished and by stopping the condenser the discharge of cotton tothe press is stopped, so that spread of the fire beyond the condenser isavoided.

I claim y 1. The combination with a machine for operating on fibrousmaterial, of a machine controlling device, a sprinkler, means foractuating the controlling device and setting the sprinkler into oeration, and means including a destructi le member for holding saidactuating means inoperative.

2. The combination with a machine for operating on fibrous material, ofa controlling device, a sprinkler, a controlling lvalve therefor, anactuating device tending to shift the controlling device and stop theoperation of the machine and to open the sprinkler valve, and meansincluding a destructible member for holding said actuating meansinoperative.

3. The combination with a machine for operating on fibrous material, ofa controlling device for stopping the operation of the machine, a leverconnected to said controlling device, an actuating means for the lever,and a restraining device for holding said lever from movement, saidrestraining device extending within the casing of the machine andincluding a destructible member.

4.' The combination with a machine for operating on fibrous material, ofa trunk connected to said machine,fa fan connected to the trunk, anoperating member tending normally to stop the machine and the operationof the fan, land a restraining device connected to the operating memberand extending through the casing of the machine and the trunk, saidrestraining device including a destructible member.

5. The combination with a machine for operating on fibrous material, ofa trunk connected thereto, a fan connected to the trunk, a driving beltfor the fan, a belt-shipper, a clutch controlling the operation of themachine, la lever connected to the shiper and clutch, a lever operatingmeans, an a restraining device normally holding said lever fromlmovement, the restraining dev vice .extending through the casing of themachineY and the trunk and having a destructible member.

6. The combination with a machine for operating onfibrous material, of\atrunk connected thereto, a fan connected'to the trunk', a fan drivingbelt, a controlling clutch for the machine, a lever connected to theclutch, a belt shipper carried by the lever, 4sprinkling pipes arrangedwithin the machine and the trunk, a valve controlling the flow of uidthrough said sprinkling pipes, a weighted cord connected to the 1ever, asheave for guiding said cord, a flexible member extending from the valveto the sheave, and a lever restraining device extending through thecasing of the machine and the trunk and including a destructible member.

7. The combination with a battery of machines for operating on fibrousmaterial, of an independent clutch for each machine, levers connected tothe clutches, a rodA connected to all of the levers, an o erating leverto which said rod is connected, a weighted cord having'one end securedto the operating lever, a trunk connected to all the machines, a fanconnected to the trunk, a fan driving belt, a belt shipper carried bythe operating lever, s rinklmg pipes extending through the severamachines and the trunk, a valve for controlling the How of fluid to thesprinklers, means operable by the weighted cord for opening the valve,and a lever reof a condenser, a flue leading from the gins to thecondenser, separate feed shafts for the gins, clutching mechanism forthe feedV shafts, an operating bar common to all of the clutchingmechanisms, a weight connected to the bar and tending to shift all ofthe clutching mechanisms to release position, a perforated pipe enteringthe flue and through which a fire extinguishing fluid may be admitted tothe flue, a valve in said pi e, a condenser driving belt, a lever, ashifiier fork carried by the lever and engaging the belt, said leverforming a stop for limiting In testimony that I claim the foregoing asmy own, I have hereto ahxed my .signature 10 1n the presence of twowitnesses.

JONATHAN l). FAHR.

movement of the clutch operating rod, al weighted oord connected to thelever, a guiding sheave over which the cord passes, a ieXible connectionbetween said guiding sheave and the valve, and a destruetible memberserving to hold the lever in place, said destruotible member passingthrough the Hue.

/Vitnesses BEN. EDWARDS, T. G. MAUGHoN.

